2014-12-15 BC is weakest province re. human rights

1) BC is the only province without a Human Rights Commission, leaving no way to address systemic discrimination, like what is happening under the $$meter program:

“BC is the only province in Canada that does not have a human rights commission, and it is the weakest province when it comes to fostering human rights awareness. Without the capacity to review legislation, conduct research, educate the public, or investigate systemic discrimination, BC is failing to address the needs of its residents, and at the same time failing to live up to international standards established by the United Nations.”

“With no commission presence in Tribunal hearings, human rights complaints have become disputes between these private parties.”

4) An article that accuses the US Navy of being dishonest in its environmental assessment and promise that the RF emitted cannot cause harm to any form of life. So far all levels of government in Canada have been silent about this threat to our environment and safety. Why? There is no way that this can be happening in the Olympic Peninsula without affecting the islands and lower mainland. Neither have I seen any media articles about this. Why not?

We are two seniors. We caved in because we could not add BC Hydro’s extra charge over a year ago, and agreed to allow a S’Meter.

Our bill this month showed that we had used double the power in November 2014 than we had used in 2013.

This is impossible.

There were only two of us here last month, and we were away for one week when we turned off computers,and appliances except for fridge and freezer. We have no new appliances or gadgets this year. We do not use electric heaters, and it was not colder this November than last November. In 2013, we had a visiting couple staying here for the entire month of November which means that our power use was higher than normal — yet, this November showed that we had used double the energy!

When I phoned BC Hydro, a charming lady (!) told me several times, in the same words, that whatever the meter read was correct, and that was all there was to it.

Our Yearly Bill was also rounded off on this statement so that we had to pay roughly double our “actual usage” bill (an amount I am truly baffled at…) and which. she implied, was not shown in our meter reading, so: how on earth, did the meter read so much higher than last year?

I’m just venting: I know that we are all being held hostage by some nefarious undercurrent but it helps just to share my frustration.

I have had numerous concerns about BC Hydro’s lack of oversight and their ability to impose smart meters or, in lieu of them, the legacy fees for supposedly reading analogue meters. I learned recently that nearly 70,000 smart meters were being read manually as of January 1, and as of Sept. 1 nearly 50,000 are still being read manually. These consumers are not being charged for meter reading, while those with analogue meters are being charged $32.40 per month without their meter being read

I know this for a fact because BC Hydro didn’t even read my meter when I moved August 1st. They simply estimated (higher than my actual use) and then added another legacy fee because it was a new month of August. This is blatant fraud.

This practice is discriminatory under the BC Utilities Commission Act which says that all customers must be charged the same rate for the same service. The legacy meters are requiring and receiving no service that is not being done for manually read smart meters. Because BCUC has been directed to not interfere in the smart meter program, no remedial action can be taken.

There has been no oversight of this program since its inception which not only is costing British Columbians huge amounts of money that may not be justified based on benefits, but also is jeopardizing our health, safety and security.

Please add my name to the growing list of disillusioned B.C. residents who want an audit by your Office. We need an objective examination on the cost and implementation of the smart meter program. BC Hydro, Fortis, BCUC and the Liberal government must be held accountable for the many issues they are causing people in ignoring the well-being of citizens to promote their private agendas. The financial, health, safety and privacy of citizens must become a priority.

Respectfully submitted

Sharon

“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.”